On Nov. 8, representatives from three cities, two counties, and the Tri-Cities Airport Authority (TCAA) formalized the partnership to advance the significant regional economic development project, Aerospace Park, with a joint signing event.
The TCAA; the cities of Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City, Tennessee; and Sullivan County and Washington County, Tennessee have been jointly working for more than a year to develop a regional investment strategy for Aerospace Park. Together, the communities will be backing an $8.5 million bond.
TCAA Chairman, Dr. Jon Smith, said, “More than 80 years ago, Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City and Sullivan County joined together to develop Tri-Cities Airport. Washington County, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia joined the organization over the years to make the Airport a fully regional effort. Today’s event demonstrates the ability of our region to work together and a strong commitment to the airport and the aerospace industry.”
Aerospace Park is an on-airport industrial park, with direct runway access, which will accommodate the continued growth of the aerospace industry in Northeast Tennessee. Combined with the aviation maintenance technology program at Northeast State Community College, the expansion of Aerospace Park insures the aerospace industry has both the physical infrastructure and the trained workforce needed to add to the existing aerospace companies in the region.
More than $23 million has been invested in infrastructure serving the 160-acre site including grading a portion of the site, construction of an industrial access road, and installation of utilities. Twenty-one acres of the site are certified through the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development as a Select Tennessee Site. Aerospace Park was the first airport site in Tennessee to receive this certification. Ten additional acres are expected to be prepared by late-2018.
“We are pleased to move this project forward and are proud to be a part of the cities and counties coming together to create this new regional economic development opportunity,” said TCAA Executive Director, Patrick Wilson. “We have had interest in the airport and our region from aerospace industry prospects over the past couple of years. The ability to offer a larger site will allow us to be more competitive for large projects.”
The engineering design for upcoming site work funded under this agreement will take place in the spring of 2018. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2018.
The mayors of the Cities of Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City, Tennessee; and Sullivan County and Washington County, Tennessee each attended the joint signing event offering comment on their governing bodies’ participation in the upcoming project.
“Aerospace Park represents the most significant regional economic development effort of our time. It illustrates the strong cooperative spirit of our Northeast Tennessee governing bodies in the funding of this opportunity for our region,” stated Bristol, Tennessee Mayor Jack Young.
“This is one of the most important investments we can make as a city and as a region because of the uniqueness of that asset,” said Johnson City Mayor David Tomita. “The historic cooperation of local governments to see the park realized sends a clear message that Northeast Tennessee is ready to take economic development to the next level.”
“I hope the region understands the importance of our cities and counties coming together for economic development,” said Kingsport Mayor John Clark. “We are stronger together, and I’m excited to see Aerospace Park come to fruition.”
“This is another example of the long-term benefits that can be achieved when our region works together. This partnership makes a statement that our region is ready and willing to support the growth of the aerospace industry,” stated Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable.
“As a region, we have a unique opportunity to develop an important asset for our future. Aerospace Park brings together many aspects of our regional community, including elected officials, workforce educators and economic development professionals to achieve economic growth and create opportunity,” stated Washington County Mayor Dan Eldridge.
